"I'll immediately arrange for the satellites to investigate. I'll notify you the moment I receive any information."
After saying that, Seitenshi hurriedly ended the call. The screen went dark, leaving only Satoru Gojo standing there with his phone in hand, still wearing the same lazy expression.
Gojo put his phone away and turned his attention toward Sumire Muroto, who was still trying her best to persuade Kayo Senju. He was about to say something and urge them to end their argument when a familiar system notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
[New episodes of Black Bullet are now available. Come watch immediately!]
[New episodes of Black Bullet are now available. Come watch immediately!]
[New episodes of Black Bullet are now available. Come watch immediately!]
The notification repeated again and again, loud and clear, instantly sweeping away the lingering laziness in Gojo's heart.
His eyes lit up slightly, and a rare smile appeared on his face. His gaze was filled with anticipation and excitement.
Ever since the previous preview had aired, there had been no further updates. He had thought he would have to wait for a long time, but unexpectedly, the official episodes had finally arrived.
Gojo still remembered how many Popularity Points the previous special episode had brought him. If the main series was released now, the rewards would surely be even greater. There was even a chance that he could directly break through one million Popularity Points.
Just thinking about it made him feel excited. He was already close to being able to exchange for a million-level reward.
As the system notification spread, every viewer who had followed Black Bullet received the announcement immediately.
Not long afterward, countless comments appeared before Gojo's eyes. One after another, they flashed rapidly across his vision, almost completely blocking his sight.
[New series!!! I'm f*ing here!!!! Finally, I've been waiting forever!]
[First!!!!! I'm the first one here, nobody fight me for it!]
[Husband!!!! Satoru Gojo, my husband, I'm here! Let me see how you perform in the new series!]
[Where's the little loli? My favorite little loli, Kayo Senju? The little girl in the preview was way too cute!]
[Little loli +1. I came here specifically because of the little girl in the preview. Please give her more screen time!]
[Finally a new series! I've waited so long that the flowers have already withered. The previous special episode wasn't nearly enough!]
[I'm curious, will this series continue using Satoru Gojo as the protagonist? Going on adventures in different worlds sounds pretty interesting.]
[It's very possible. I actually really like this format. Watching Gojo act cool in different worlds is ridiculously satisfying!]
[+1 +1. No matter what world he's in, Satoru Gojo is always the strongest. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does here!]
The comments flashed by in all kinds of forms. Some were excited, some were filled with anticipation, some were clearly from fans, and others were guessing about the upcoming plot.
However, Gojo's attention was not on those comments at all. He had already gotten used to them. They were all familiar faces, and there was nothing particularly new to see.
What truly mattered to him was the content of the episode itself.
At that moment, the screen changed.
His and Betty's figures appeared on the display, showing the moment they had first arrived in this world.
[It's starting, it's starting! The actual episode is finally here!]
[Expectation! I'm so excited! I wonder what the first episode will be about!]
[Whoa, Betty is here too! Betty is so cute. Standing beside Gojo, they have such a strong couple vibe!]
Just like the previous Re:Zero series and the special episode, the new series moved at an extremely fast pace without unnecessary buildup. It immediately opened with a high-intensity scene.
The battle between Satoru Gojo and Kagetane Hiruko appeared on the screen.
Gojo still had that same relaxed appearance, his hands in his pockets and a faint smile on his face. Even while facing Kagetane's attacks, he remained completely calm.
What surprised the audience the most was that the barrier Kagetane Hiruko used was extremely similar to Gojo's Limitless Cursed Technique. Both abilities could block outside attacks, although there was still a significant difference in power between them.
Then came the appearance of the Gastrea, creatures born when humans became infected with the Gastrea Virus.
The scene completely broadened the audience's understanding of what a "monster" could be.
Nobody expected that the bizarre and horrifying creatures they had seen in the preview were actually transformed from humans.
[Holy crap! The Gastrea Virus is way too terrifying! It can actually turn humans into things like this. It's basically Resident Evil!]
[These Gastrea are even more disgusting than zombies! Just looking at them gives me goosebumps. It's too creepy!]
[But isn't this a little too exaggerated? They're still carbon-based lifeforms. How could they possibly withstand human firearms? Can the writers put a little more thought into this?]
[Exactly. The entire world fell because of a virus like this? I also think it's too unrealistic.]
[Am I the only one paying attention to that ability that looks like Limitless Cursed Technique? That Kagetane Hiruko guy is insanely strong!]
[+1. I noticed it too, but Gojo is definitely still stronger. After all, our husband is invincible!]
As the story progressed, the discussions in the comments continued changing. The initial excitement gradually turned into complaints about the plot and speculation about what would happen next.
The atmosphere was incredibly lively.
And the first major highlight of the episode naturally belonged to Gojo's overwhelming display of power.
It was the scene where he and Betty explored outside the Monolith at night and encountered the human Self-Defense Forces on their way back.
Everyone knew how powerful modern human weapons could be. And in this world, where technology was clearly more advanced, the weapons controlled by the Self-Defense Forces were even more formidable.
Yet even with such advanced firepower, the soldiers equipped with those weapons still appeared unbelievably weak in front of Gojo.
Every attack, whether it was a barrage of bullets screaming through the air or powerful artillery shells, was completely stopped by Gojo's Limitless Cursed Technique. Not a single attack managed to touch him.
The soldiers gave everything they had, but to Gojo, their attacks were no different from children playing around in a kindergarten. They posed absolutely no threat.
Aside from the soldiers' shocked cries and the endless stream of comments filling his vision, the battle caused him no inconvenience whatsoever.
[HAHAHAHAHA! The soldiers' expressions are way too funny! They look like they've seen a ghost!]
[I'm dying. They attacked with everything they had, but they couldn't even touch Gojo's clothes. That's so embarrassing!]
[This type of story where Gojo travels through different worlds is definitely the best. Every world gives a new experience, and every time we get to see him show off. It's so satisfying!]
[Looks like technology at this level still can't do anything against Gojo. As expected of our unbeatable Gojo-sensei!]
[Speaking of which, do you think he could survive a nuclear explosion? If he got hit directly by one, would his Limitless Cursed Technique still work?]
[The person above has a wild imagination. That's a nuclear explosion we're talking about. It's a force capable of destroying everything. Even Gojo probably couldn't survive that, right?]
[Not necessarily. Gojo is invincible. Maybe he really does have a way to withstand it.]
Looking at the rapidly moving comments on the screen, the corner of Gojo's mouth twitched slightly, and an exasperated expression appeared on his face.
A nuclear explosion?
He truly couldn't understand what kind of person would come up with such a "cruel" question and wonder whether he could survive being hit by one.
Gojo knew very clearly that even his Limitless Cursed Technique could not completely block nuclear radiation.
If he were caught in a nuclear blast, he would have no choice but to escape immediately and get as far away from the explosion as possible if he wanted to survive.
And if radiation managed to seep into his body, he would have to use Reverse Cursed Technique as quickly as possible to regenerate the damaged areas and prevent further harm.
Other than that, he had no particularly good method.
After all, while Limitless could block the shockwaves and heat generated by an explosion, radiation had neither form nor substance, making it extremely troublesome to defend against completely.
It was similar to poison. His Limitless Cursed Technique was not perfect against that either. He could only avoid it rather than become completely immune.
Still, despite his complaints, these viewers were quite helpful.
His Popularity Points were rising rapidly.
At that moment, Gojo could clearly see his points increasing nonstop. The numbers kept jumping higher and higher, showing no signs of slowing down.
Based on this rate, he estimated that by the time this broadcast ended and before he returned, he would definitely gain at least one million-level ability.
If his luck was good, obtaining two million-level abilities was not impossible either.
The more he thought about it, the happier he became. Even the lollipop in his mouth seemed to taste sweeter, and the smile on his face grew brighter.
The first two episodes ended shortly after Gojo's overwhelming display in front of the Self-Defense Forces.
Compared to the audience's current expectations, the amount of content released was not much. It could even be said that it was far from enough.
However, the results were still excellent.
At least judging from the Popularity Points he had gained, everything was going according to plan.
After the broadcast ended, Gojo instinctively opened his system panel and checked his current Popularity Points.
They had already reached nearly six hundred thousand.
He was only about four hundred thousand away from one million.
With several more broadcasts like this, he would be able to exchange for even more powerful abilities.
"Not bad at all."
Leaning against a tree trunk, Gojo smiled with satisfaction and muttered to himself.
He couldn't help thinking that if he had not exchanged for the Gastrea Virus enhancement earlier, his Popularity Points might have increased even faster. Perhaps he would have already surpassed six hundred thousand by now.
But Gojo did not regret his decision.
After all, obtaining the Gastrea Virus enhancement had significantly increased his strength, and it also gave him more security while operating in this world.
After watching the new episodes, the surrounding Civil Security members gradually began returning from their missions.
Every one of them wore expressions of exhaustion and frustration. Clearly, just like Gojo's group, they had failed to find any clues regarding the mission item.
In this remote wilderness, Gastrea were everywhere, and the terrain was complicated. Finding the person who had taken the mission item was incredibly difficult, almost an impossible task.
Not long afterward, Rentaro Satomi finally returned.
His clothes were covered in dust and dirt, and there were several minor scratches on his prosthetic arm. His face showed clear signs of exhaustion, and his eyes were filled with disappointment.
He looked like he was in a terrible mood.
When Gojo saw him, he smiled and waved.
"Judging by your expression, I'm guessing you didn't find anything?"
Rentaro looked up at him and answered in a low voice.
"No."
His response was short, filled with helplessness and frustration. Clearly, this failure had affected him deeply.
Originally, Rentaro had planned to use the advantages of his prosthetic body to carefully analyze the traces left behind by the battle and track the person who had taken the mission item.
But he never expected the large number of Gastrea that swarmed into the area, along with the powerful aftermath caused by Gojo's earlier battle, to completely destroy all possible traces.
Even with his artificial eye, which allowed him to accelerate his thoughts and calculations while capturing the smallest clues, he still could not find anything.
It was as if the person who took the mission item had never existed at all.
Seeing his disappointed expression, Gojo did not tease him. Instead, he simply spoke in a calm tone.
"Looks like I was right. This mission really can't be completed."
"Let's head back. There's no point wasting time here."
He smiled lightly before continuing.
"Once we return, I can help these children deal with their Corrosion Rate problems. At least this trip won't have been a complete waste."
To Rentaro, those words carried a deeper meaning.
Compared to the Stage 5 Gastrea that could destroy the entire Tokyo Area, Gojo seemed to care more about the safety of the Initiators.
That realization left Rentaro with complicated feelings. There was admiration, helplessness, and a trace of worry.
He knew how powerful Gojo was, powerful enough to ignore most threats in this world.
But a Stage 5 Gastrea was different.
It was not an ordinary threat. It was a terrifying existence that the entire world feared.
"Looks like this is the only option we have now."
Rentaro spoke with a helpless expression, but a bad feeling remained buried deep in his heart.
That feeling only grew stronger, leaving him increasingly uneasy.